Explicated herewith are several myths about breast cancer which abound and the real lowdown about this disease so that better understanding is gained for abler prevention.

Fallacy: Breast Cancer is mostly heritable.

Reality: Merely five to ten percent of cases are because of flawed breast cancer genes BRCA1, BRCA2.

According to the ACS (American Cancer Society), even among females having a kin history, several cases are not due to particular gene mutations however result from a merger of collective heritable vulnerabilities and lifestyle-related factors.

The reality is that researchers yet do not know what truly are the reasons for breast cancer arising. However, a good means of finding out is comparing females that have not had breast cancer against the ones having it or those facing an augmented risk – the form of study that ‘the Army of Women’ is hopeful of contributing.

Fallacy: Females having small breasts have lesser breast cancer risk.

Reality: Brassiere sizes do not don a part in breast cancer arising.

Breast cancer develops in the cell lining the milk ducts (lobule) – the regions producing milk & carrying it to the nipples – their numbers are similar in all females irrespective of how big or small their breasts are. Breast size is usually dependent on the quantity of stroma & fats that studies have shown to have diminutive effect on cancer likelihood. The gist of it all is that all females forty years and more require undergoing mammogram on a regular basis.

Fallacy: Breast cancer surfaces as lumps at all times

Reality: Around ten percent of women identified with breast cancer don’t have any lump, pains or other signs of anything off beam in the breasts.

In lumps which are identified, eighty to eighty-five percent are benignant. These are mostly cyst or non-malignant tumor known as fibroadenoma. That stated, any lumps or breast symptoms (particularly mentioned in the listing herewith) which doesn’t subside must be evaluated by a physician.

• Any variation in the feel or appearance of breasts or nipples.
• Any lumps or thickenings in or close to the breasts or armpit region.
• Breast pains or soreness in nipples.
• Any variation in the sizes or shapes of the breasts.
• Nipples or skin turning inwards in the breasts.
• Sense of warmth when touched.
• Scales, reddishness or swelling of skin in the breasts, areolar or nipples, possibly having ridge or indentures with orange-peel like appearance.
• Emission from the nipples.

Fallacy: Mammography prevents or reduces breast cancer risk.

Reality: Regular mammography would not be preventing or reducing breast cancer risk.

Mammography merely identifies breast cancer which is already existent – lowering breast cancer related death by around sixteen percent. But, majority of the breast cancer types are already existent for six to eight years when they surface in mammography. Screenings skip around twenty percent of all tumor types. Hence it is vital that all females undergo a yearly breast examination conducted by a healthcare professional & being vigilant about their bodies for spotting potential alterations in the earliest. The highly effectual means of breast cancer detection in its most nascent phases is to undergo good-quality mammograms & clinical breast examinations frequently.

Fallacy: Mammogram causes breast cancer.

Reality: The radiation threat is infinitesimal in comparison to the vast gains from earlier identification.

According to the ACS recommendation, females in the age of forty years and more must undergo annual mammograms. The Food and Drug Administration regulates dosages of radiation & are rather less – corresponding to the levels that regular individuals are receiving from innately arising sources over a three month period. Moreover, females presently are receiving fifty folds lesser radiation from mammogram as compared to what they were exposed to two decades back, with the danger of lasting health impact being nearly zilch, as per FDA statement. Since every breast cancer case is unique hence all women must be discussing with their physician regarding their individual risk factors for the disease. Women at elevated breast cancer risk might require undergoing mammogram prior to forty years of age or coupling these alongside greater sensitivity screening techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Fallacy: Contraceptive pills are causal to breast cancer.

Reality: Physicians state that the proof is not that compelling for them in recommending that females halt the intake of contraceptive pills for avoiding breast cancer.

Several trials conducted in the mid-nineties have shown that women who used contraceptive pills had a somewhat augmented risk for breast cancer, however scientists caveat that pill formulas have seen a major change from those times (majority of these containing significantly lesser hormonal dosages related to disease risk). This study additionally noted that the risk reverted to normal a decade subsequent to stoppage in pill intake. Several studies indicate that risk might be dependent on background or age (for instance those from the Afro-American race & pill takers after forty-five years of age have a somewhat higher risk) whereas as other research noted no link in-between contraceptive pill intake & cancer. This is indicative that birth control-linked breast cancer risk might differ in every woman hence there is the need for deciphering if sub-sets have varying risks.

Fallacy: Younger females do not develop breast cancer.

Reality: Even though it is correct that breast cancer has greater prevalence among females in their postmenopause phase, but the disease could afflict individuals irrespective of age.

Factually, females below fifty years of age constitute twenty-five percent of all cases of breast cancer & these have a tendency of having greater death rates. It might be partially explicated by the reality that young females have a tendency of having more dense breasts making it trickier in spotting lumps at the time of mammography. Due to this reason, it is better to do a month-by-month BSE (breast self-examination) commencing at twenty years of age and undergoing a clinical examination by a physician in three yearly time interval & commence getting screened with mammogram at forty years of age. In case one has a kin history of the disease then one should be asking the physician on additionally going for a MRI of the breasts. Young females who develop breast cancer have a greater likelihood of having gene mutations BRCA1,2 in comparison to older females. A research noted that MRI was capable of picking up seventy-seven percent of cancers among such females in comparison to thirty-six percent through mammogram. In case a woman’s physician states that she has denser breasts then requesting a digital mammogram that has been noted to spot fifteen percent additional cancers as compared to standard mammography among females below fifty & eleven percent more among females having denser breasts, according to a trial conducted during 2005.

De-clobbering Common Breast Cancer Myths – Part II

The scientists have stated that in every one thousand women that consume the medications every year, nearly seven to ten lesser reported breast cancer cases would surface.

However, both the medicines raise the likelihood of getting blood clots, with the maximum risk arising from tamoxifen medicine – in every one thousand women that consume tamoxifen every year, 4 to 10 more cases of blood clots crop up. This statistic was mentioned in the study that appeared during the current week in the ‘Annals of Internal Medicine’.

Tamoxifen is additionally known to raise the chances of developing endometrial cancer – a cancer that starts off in the endometrial lining of the uterus or womb that has a potential to be aggressive and spread to other areas of the body leading to a host of complications. Even cataract- a cloudy area that forms on the eye lens leading to an array of vision problems, is being cited as the associated risks for those women that take tamoxifen.

The third medicine, tibolone that has not garnered approval in the United States as yet, though it has been widely used in other parts of the world, was also included during the course of the study that was conducted. The paper cited that tibolone was known to majorly lower the risk of developing breast cancer, however raising the chances of stroke in elderly women.

Though, all the three drugs were reported to lower the likelihood of fractures. The paper gauges the threats and advantages of these drugs when employed by women in ideal health that had not earlier had breast cancer, but were thought to be in the higher risk bracket for developing the disease.

A major part of the data scrutinized during the study was derived from 8 large-scale clinical trials.

The latest studies on women that are diagnosed with breast cancer have shown that this type of reaction was certainly not unusual. A majority of women that got diagnosed with preliminary stage of breast cancer and were the ones directly and solely involved in taking the decision, were also seen as the ones with the highest probability to opt for mastectomy.

While those women that laid more emphasis on the choice offered by their doctor or kin member or close acquaintances, to choose the type of surgery to undergo, were noted to more often opt for breast preservation or conservation procedure along with lumpectomy. Lumpectomy is a breast conservation procedure in those with single breast cancer with size smaller than five centimetres in diameter that involves tumour removal along with minimal amount of regular breast tissues encasing it done under sedation.

This behavioural pattern transcended every cultural and racial set inclusive of Afro- U.S. and Latina ladies. In a survey conducted on an entirety of 1,651 cases of women that had preliminary stage of breast cancer that were opting for either mastectomy or breast preservation surgery, nearly three-fourths of them decided to have breast conservation surgery. The answers given by these women also brought light to the following factors:

• Those women that were apprehensive of either their cancer relapsing or regarding the results of radiation therapy along with breast conservation surgery, were noted to mostly opt for mastectomy in comparison to those that were less apprehensive about these matters.
• Those women who were conscious about their self image and their partner’s views were considered crucial during their decision, mostly went in for breast conservation operation.
• A majority of such women accounted having got along a kin member or a pal along at the time of consultation regarding surgery.

Many women opt for double mastectomy due to varying factors like being in the young age bracket, a family past of the disease and imminent likelihood of the presence of BRCA1 gene which has an 80% risk of leading to breast cancer during the lifetime.

Such women that opted for mastectomy have visibly no laments over not going in for breast conservation procedure.